Joey Dunlop on shortlist as public asked to select Northern Ireland's top 10 sporting moments of past 50 years

Responsible for the development of sport across Northern Ireland, Sport NI’s online public vote is open until February 9.

The top 10 sporting moments over the past 50 years have been selected by Sport NI staff and the shortlist is as follows:

1. Joey Dunlop – 1st TT win – 1977

Joey Dunlop OBE MBE won his first of 26 Isle of Man TT races in the 1000cc Jubilee Classic at the 1977 Isle of Man TT. It was the beginning of a legendary career which also saw Dunlop win 24 times at the Ulster Grand Prix, 13 times at the North West 200 and 5 claim Formula TT World Championships in a row between 1982-1986.

2. Northern Ireland men’s football team beating Spain in 1982 World Cup

Gerry Armstrong scored the winner in a 1-0 win against Spain at the 1982 FIFA World Cup. The victory was famous as Northern Ireland beat Spain on their own turf and saw out the final 30 minutes with ten men after Mal Donaghy was sent off.

3. Dennis Taylor winning World Snooker Championship in 1985

Dennis Taylor lifted his first World Championship after beating Steven Davis 18-17 in the final frame, whilst never leading in the match. The final frame lasted 68 minutes with both players missing chances to clinch the title, which is why the contest is known as the ‘black ball’ final.

4. Wayne McCullough winning silver in Barcelona in 1992

Wayne McCullough produced Northern Ireland’s best performance at the Olympics with silver at Barcelona 92. McCullough lost out to Cuban Joel Casamayor but went on to become the first boxer from Northern Ireland to win a WBC championship.

5. Ulster Rugby winning Heineken Cup Final 1999

Ulster Rugby beat French side Colomiers 21-6 at Landsdowne Road, Dublin to lift the Heineken Cup, the top European Rugby Union competition consisting of teams from France, Ireland, Italy, Wales and Scotland. All 21 points came from the boot with Simon Mason kicking six penalties and Captain David Humphreys with a drop goal.

6. Tyrone GAA’s 3 in a decade in the 2000s

Tyrone GAA lifted three of their four All Ireland Senior Championships during the 2000′s with victories in 2003, 2005 and 2008. Their first came with victory over Armagh which was followed up by two more victories against Kerry, the most successful team in All Ireland Senior Championships history.

7. Beijing Paralympics 2008 – Michael McKillop and Jason Smyth winning their first gold medals

Both Michael McKillop and Jason Smyth won their first of many Paralympic golds to create a moment to remember at Beijing 2008. McKillop claimed 800m T37 gold in a then World Record time with Smyth claiming gold in both the T13 100m and 200m in also World Record times.

8. AP McCoy – Grand National Win in 2010

Sir Tony McCoy won his first Grand National at the 15th attempt aboard ‘Don’t Push It’ to grow his list of Horse Racing accolades. Previously, his best was two 3rd placed finishes. Sir Tony went on to then win the 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

9. Kelly Gallagher winning gold at Sochi in 2014

Alpine Skier Kelly Gallagher MBE was not only the first athlete from Northern Ireland to compete in the Winter Paralympics but won Britain’s first ever Winter Paralympic gold medal at Sochi 2014 in the Super G competition.

10. NI women’s football qualification to the Euros in 2022

Northern Ireland Women reached their first ever finals by beating Ukraine 4-1 over a two legged playoff. Julie Nelson scored their first ever finals goal in the 4-1 defeat to Norway. Qualifying for the tournament was transformative for women’s sport in Northern Ireland with the knock on effect to be seen for years to come.

To vote for your top NI sporting moments of the last 50 years visit http://www.sportni.net/50th-anniversary-top-ten/ and cast your vote by February 9, 2024.